12.20.2010– NEW SERIES: SUNDAY AFTERNOON DOCSAll documentaries screened on DVD in the Colonial’s 50-seat screening room. Tickets are $5 per person.LIVING IN EMERGENCY: STORIES OF DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERSSun, Jan 16 @ 4PMMon, Jan 17 @ 7PMWed, Jan 19 @ 7PMMark Hopkins. US. 2008. NR. 93 min.two volunteers are new recruits: a 26 year-old Australian doctor stranded in a remote bush clinic and an American surgeon struggling to cope under the load of emergency cases in a shattered capital city. two others are experienced field hands: a dynamic Head of Mission, valiantly trying to keep morale high and tensions under control, and an exhausted veteran, who has seen too much horror and wants out. amidst the chaos, each volunteer must confront the severe challenges of the work, the tough choices, and the limits of their own idealism. (Truly Indie). AUTISM: THE MUSICALSun, Jan 23 @ 4PMTricia Regan. US. 2007. NR. 94 min.“The children in Elaine Hall’s musical theater camp, dubbed “The Miracle Project” aren’t your average pre-teen theater students. the Miracle Project is a musical theater camp solely for autistic children who, despite their many problems engaging with the world, delight and thrive in musical theater. In just 22 weeks, the kids put together a musical performance, lovingly documented in Autism: the Musical. the logic behind such an endeavor—getting children who have a hard time focusing to memorize songs and dialogue—seems a bit dubious at first but Hall, who was inspired to start the camp because of her own autistic son Neal, bases the project on the premise that theater, with its embrace of the strange and unexpected, could serve a real need for autistic kids. …It is a bit easy and cliché to call Autism: the Musical a story about the transformative power of theater, but it’s hard to avoid the idea when you see the children and their parents at their big performance. They are genuinely proud of themselves and what they have accomplished – something that special needs children rarely get to experience. As Henry says to his beaming dad, “I felt really good on stage. It felt great.” (Amaya Rivera, PopMatters). UNDER OUR SKINSun, Jan 30 @ 4PMAndy Abrahams Wilson. US. 2008. NR. 104 min.A gripping tale of microbes, medicine & money Under Our Skin investigates the untold story of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic larger than AIDS. Each year thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often told that their symptoms are “all in their head.” following the stories of patients and physicians fighting the disease, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of the health care system and a medical establishment all too willing to put profits ahead of patients. (Open Eye Pictures). LOUDER THAN A BOMBSun, Feb 20 @ 4PMGreg Jacobs and Jon Siskel. US. 2010. NR. 99 min.Louder than a Bomb tells the story of four Chicago high school poetry teams as they prepare for and compete in the world’s largest youth slam. by turns hopeful and heartbreaking, the film captures the tempestuous lives of these unforgettable kids, exploring the ways writing shapes their world, and vice versa. While the topics they tackle are often deeply personal, what they put into their poems—and what they get out of them—is universal: the defining work of finding one’s voice.CLASSICS ON SUNDAYS: PRESTON STURGESSULLIVAN’S TRAVELSSun, Jan 2 @ 2PMPreston Sturges, US, 1941, NR, 91mWhat better way to usher in a bright new year than with the wit and insight of Preston Sturges, one of Hollywood’s greatest writer/directors. In this film, considered by many to be Sturges’ masterpiece, we are provided with a merciless satire of the movie business, combined with a truly moving commentary on the Great Depression. Joel McCrea stars as a movie director known for his slapstick comedies. when he feels the need to create a serious film about suffering, he decides to research it by donning a hobo’s clothes and setting out into the real world with only the change in his pocket. After a series of adventures, including being beaten, robbed and sentenced to jail for his own murder, McCrea learns about the healing power of laughter. As Leonard Maltin has observed, “Slapstick and sorrow blend seamlessly in this landmark Hollywood satire, which grows more pertinent with each passing year.” (Bill Roth)THE PALM BEACH STORYSun, Jan 9 @ 2PMPreston Sturges, US, 1942, NR, 90mJoel McCrea again in this hilarious screwball comedy, which unlike Sullivan’s Travels, at no time takes itself seriously. This time Sturges takes aim at the idle rich, personified hilariously be the likes of Rudy Vallee and Mary Astor. Claudette Colbert, at her loveliest, plays McCrea’s adoring wife, who decides to “help” her unemployed architect husband by running off to Palm Beach and taking up with gazillionaire Rudy, as a means of gaining the money to finance McCrea’s dream of designing an airport. along the way we are treated to a full catalogue of inspired comedy characters (e.g., the “Ale and Quail Club”) and a rapidly escalating series of absurd and zany situations. (Bill Roth)THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN’S CREEKSun, Jan 16 @ 2PMPreston Sturges, US, 1944, NR, 99mThis Sturges comedy classic was considered very controversial at the time of its release, due to its subject matter. (It was produced in 1942 but wasn’t released until 1944 due to problems with the censors.) the irrepressible Betty Hutton stars as Trudy Kockenlocher, an energetic man-crazy young lass, who finds herself pregnant after getting drunk at a party for GIs who were heading off to war, and can’t remember who might be the father and/or whether she had married him. Enter Eddie Bracken, as Trudy’s long-suffering boyfriend, who chivalrously steps in to offer to marry his beloved, only to find himself wanted by the authorities for impersonating an officer, corrupting the morals of a minor, forgery, kidnapping, and robbery. then a miracle happens. Many feel that the true miracle regarding this amazing satire on small-town morality is that it ever got made in the first place! (Watch William Demarest, as Trudy’s father, to see comedy character acting at its finest!) (Bill Roth)HAIL THE CONQUERING HEROSun, Jan 23 @ 2PMPreston Sturges, US, 1944, NR, 101mSturges was Oscar-nominated for writing this fast-paced comedy, which stars Eddie Bracken, this time in a satire on hero-worship and home-front patriotism during wartime. Bracken, the son of a WW I Marine Corps hero, is rejected by the Corps and rendered 4-F for hay fever, but somehow ends up mistaken for a war hero by his home town. the complications come thick and fast, and the ensemble acting by Sturges’ roster of comic character actors – especially William Demerest and Franklin Pangborn – is amazing. And this film was made in the midst of World War II – talk about iconoclasm and daring! (Bill Roth)UNFAITHFULLY YOURSSun, Jan 30 @ 2PMPreston Sturges, US, 1948, NR, 105mIn this, Sturges’ last major Hollywood production, he provided a masterpiece of black comedy. Rex Harrison stars as an egocentric symphony conductor who suspects his wife (lovely Linda Darnell) of having an affair. As he is conducting the works of Tchaikovsky, Rossini and Wagner, he imagines three devastatingly funny scenarios of revenge, including murder. although not successful at the box office when it was made due to being considered too “dark” for its time, it has since achieved classic status, in no small part because of the comic characterizations provided by the likes of Edgar Kennedy, Rudy Vallee and Lionel Stander. but full credit is due to Rex Harrison, for providing a truly devilish performance. (Bill Roth)CLASSICS ON SUNDAYS: THE DARK SIDE OF SHOWBIZSUNSET BOULEVARDSun, Feb 6 @ 2PMBilly Wilder, US, 1950, NR, 110mStarting out our month of films dealing with the less glamorous side of the show business community, we’re presenting a truly classic rendering (in every sense of the term) of Hollywood’s “old guard.” Billy Wilder’s direction provides a tongue-in-cheek, often witty, and sometimes macabre take on the post-war film community, with William Holden starring as a hack screenwriter, on the run from creditors, who seeks sanctuary (and a bit more) with has-been silent actress Gloria Swanson and her brooding Prussian butler, Erich von Stroheim (the ever-popular “man you love to hate” of the silent era). to give you an idea of just how unusual this film is, it’s narrated in flashback by a dead man, seen at the outset floating face down in an ornate swimming pool. As the fascinating tale unfolds, we are treated to a wild conglomeration of madness, vanity, obsession, and murder, as well as cameo appearances from such silent stars as Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson and director Cecil B. DeMille. If you like your satire on the dark side, then Sunset Boulevard is the film for you. (Bill Roth)ALL ABOUT EVESun, Feb 13 @ 2PMJoseph Mankiewicz, US, 1950, NR, 138mAs Bette Davis so famously says in this film, “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!” And that observation very aptly sums up the essence of this backstage Broadway story, etched with acid wit. With an outstanding cast (Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, the eminently acid-tongued George Sanders, and even a young Marilyn Monroe) and Oscar-winning writing and direction by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, this film was a shoo-in for the best Picture of 1950. (Sanders also won for his seminal role of Addison DeWitt, the poisonously witty drama critic.) As the Cinebook Movie Guide put it, “All about Eve is the consummate backstage story, a film the holds a magnifying glass up to theatrical environs and exposes all the egos, tempers, conspiracies and backstage back-biting that make up the world of make-believe on Broadway.” A bumpy, and very witty, night indeed! (Bill Roth)THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFULSun, Feb 20 @ 2PMVincente Minnelli, US, 1952, NR, 118mIn what has been described as “the quintessential movie about movies,” director Vincente Minnelli provides us with an intimate and withering portrait of a charismatic but deeply flawed movie mogul (Kirk Douglas, Academy Award-nominated for this performance) as seen through the eyes of three intimates – writer Dick Powell, director Barry Sullivan and actress Lana Turner – all of whom have been used and abused by him. the acting and the story will hold you spellbound, as we watch the rise and eventual downfall of this powerful Hollywood player. Many film buffs believe that the Douglas character is an amalgam of producers David O. Selznick and Val Lewton, that the writer is a thinly disguised F. Scott Fitzgerald, and that the Lana Turner role is based upon John Barrymore’s tragic daughter, Diana. See if you agree. (Bill Roth)SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESSSun, Feb 27 @ 2PMAlexander McKendrick, US, 1957, NR, 96mIf you like your drama mordant and dark, with hints of the perverse, then Sweet Smell of Success is definitely your movie. Filmed in a noir style on the streets of New York City, the film provides a portrait of two fascinating but often loathsome Manhattan show-biz characters. Burt Lancaster exudes a malevolent charisma as vicious Broadway columnist J.J. Hunsecker (supposedly modeled on Walter Winchell) and Tony Curtis (in what is probably his best dramatic performance) plays toadying Sidney Falco, a desperate press agent who will stoop to anything for the crumbs that Hunsecker doles out. In their nighttime world, the streets of Manhatten glow with an aura of malice thanks to cinematography by the famed James Wong Howe. This is a film that will hold you spellbound, even as you recoil at the way that power can corrupt and defame. Don’t miss it! (Bill Roth)CLASSICS ON SUNDAYS: DORIS DAYLOVE ME OR LEAVE MESun, Mar 6 @ 2PMCharles Vidor, US, 1955, NR, 130mAlthough this is a musical biography, telling the story of prohibition-era torch singer, Ruth Etting, it is not a typical Doris Day film; nor is it the usual cheery, tune-ridden production that was typical of the fifties. rather, it is a “hard-edged love story” of the singer and her gangster boyfriend, played at full throttle by the one and only James Cagney himself. This is one of Doris’s best performances, both dramatically and vocally. the whole production exudes a 1920s aura, complete with Day’s rousing renditions of such jazz-age classics as “Ten Cents a Dance” and “Shaking the Blues away.” Cagney, of course, steals almost every scene he’s in, playing a top hood named Marty the Gimp, who is Etting’s lover and Svengali, using his connections and clout to foster her career. This is a lively and moving film, with beautiful performances all around. (Bill Roth)IT HAPPENED TO JANESun, Mar 13 @ 2PMRichard Quine, US, 1959, NR, 120mSingle mother and fishmonger Jane Osgood (Doris Day) may be in over her head when she receives a large order from the Marshall Town Country Club for lobsters. unfortunately, she fails to deliver, as the supply arrives ruined because of a train delay. to compensate for her business loss, Jane enlists her admirer, George Denham (Jack Lemmon), to sue the railway’s owner (Ernie Kovacs) in a fight that winds up longer than the train route itself. Critic and Film Comment editor Scott Foundas recommended this film by “the wonderful and severely underrated director Richard Quine.” Screened on DVD.PILLOW TALKSun, Mar 20 @ 2PMMichael Gordon, US, 1959, NR, 120mThis is the first, and many think the best, of the “sex comedies” that Doris made her trademark throughout the late 50s and 60s. (Compared to today’s fare, it is fascinating to look back on what was considered “racy” in those more innocent times.) Rock Hudson plays a playboy who just happens to share a party line with Doris, a successful, independent career woman. Doris is offended by Rock’s continual stream of female conquests and the underhanded ways in which he talks women into bed. of course, a series of comic misunderstandings take place, as the two stars grow to love/hate each other. those two premier comic actors, Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter, nearly steal the show, with their hilarious asides and reactions, and the film is filled with such musical numbers as “Possess me,” “You Lied” and, of course, the title song. With its beautiful Cinemascope color photography, its sumptuous sets, and its “modern” take on relationships, Pillow Talk was one of the top hit movies of its day, and boosted the careers of all concerned. See it on our big screen and find out why. (Bill Roth)LOVER COME BACKSun, Mar 27 @ 2PMDelbert Mann, US, 1962, NR, 120mThis second successful teaming of Doris and Rock is another fast-paced romantic farce, this time taking some deadly shots at the advertising world along the way. With a hilariously neurotic Tony Randall again nearly walking away with the picture, and with wonderful comic turns by the likes of Edie Adams and Jack Kruschen, the laughs keep coming. the plot involves our stars as competing Madison Avenue executives (during the times now being immortalized by Mad Men) and centers on an advertising campaign for a product that doesn’t really exist. so sit back and enjoy the fast-paced comedy action and the witty dialogue (the script was Oscar-nominated) as Doris Day and Rock Hudson come back to what they do so well. (Bill Roth)YOUNG AUDIENCES: ANIME MANIA SUMMER WARSMon, Dec 27 @ 8:30PMWed, Dec 29 @ 4PMSat, Jan 1 @ 2PMMamoru Hosoda, Japan, 2009, Ages 10+, 114m, English dubKenji is a teenage math prodigy recruited by his secret crush Natsuki for the ultimate summer job – passing himself off as Natsuki’s boyfriend for four days during her grandmother’s birthday celebration. but when Kenji solves a 2,056 digit math riddle sent to his cell phone, he unwittingly breaches the security barricade protecting Oz, a globe-spanning virtual world where millions of people and governments interact through their avatars, handling everything from online shopping and traffic control to national defense and nuclear launch codes. Now a malicious AI program called the love Machine is hijacking Oz accounts, growing exponentially more powerful and sowing chaos and destruction in its wake. (GKIDS). Screened on DVD.KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICESat, Jan 8 @ 2PM Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, 1989, Ages 6+, 103m, English dub“An extremely sweet-natured film, Kiki features the adventures of a young witch (voiced by Kirsten Dunst) who sets out on her own with her intelligent cat Jiji (voiced by the late Phil Hartman, who’s great) at the age of 13. once settled in a new city, she takes advantage of her broom-flying abilities to start a courier service with the aid of a helpful baker and other new friends. though featuring the familiar Japanese mixture of simple, iconic characters and more detailed, realistic surroundings, Miyazaki’s characters seem more human than those of many of his peers. he also takes advantage of animation’s ability to be cinematic in a way many cartoons do not. Kiki’s slow pace and light-on-conflict plot may surprise kids used to American animation, but it’s difficult not to be won over by the film’s endearing characters and beautiful animation, as well as a storyline that stresses the values of independence and friendship.” (Keith Phipps, the Onion A.V. Club). Screened on DVD.STEAMBOYSat, Jan 15 @ 2PM Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Japan, 2004, Ages 12+, 106m, English dubA retro science-fiction epic set in Victorian England, Steamboy features an inventor prodigy named Ray Steam who receives a mysterious metal ball containing a new form of energy capable of powering an entire nation. This young boy must use it to fight evil, redeem his family, and save London from destruction. (Sony)“Anna Paquin is the voice of Ray Steam, a precocious young inventor growing up in 1860s Manchester, where he tinkers with complicated steam-driven gadgetry inspired by the work of his father (Alfred Molina) and grandfather (Patrick Stewart). when Ray’s grandfather sends home an experimental high-powered “steam ball,” thugs quickly show up to claim it, and Ray’s grandfather pops in to attack them, declaring that Ray’s father is dead and the steam ball must be protected at all costs. one wild chase sequence follows the next as Ray attempts to obey, but before long, he learns that his father is alive, and has his own questionable plans for the steam ball. amid the awe-inspiring backdrop of the London Exhibition, Ray’s father and grandfather face off for possession of the invention and for the right to speak for and represent Science Itself, while their baffled but respectful descendent is caught firmly in the middle.” (Tasha Robinson, the Onion A.V. Club)MILLENNIUM ACTRESSSat, Jan 22 @ 2PM Sotoshi Kon, Japan, 2001, Ages 10+, 87m, English dubIn this unique epic adventure, the lines between the past and the present, and truth and fiction, are blurred when a documentary filmmaker fulfills his quest to find the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, and learn why she mysteriously vanished at the height of her brilliant career. (Go Fish Pictures)“As her story is coaxed forth by an earnest documentary crew, Kon allows illusion and reality to merge, forging an inseparable milieu between the multiple films within his film. This is ambitious, at times precarious stuff – overtly to the point that it becomes plainly obvious why Kon employs animation as his pallet of choice (all his films to date would work equally, albeit not as profoundly, as live action) – and yet holds it together through forthright emotion and a considerable thwack of pathos. beautifully animated, this is also a romantic film; a romance that comes, in part, from the sincere rendering of a (brief) Japanese film history, with nods to Kurosawa, Ozu and even 2001. true to form, Kon makes good on his rationale for working in animation; with Millennium Actress, the potential for the medium has never felt so endless.” (The Lumiere Reader)BALLOON FREAK JOHN CASSIDYSat, Jan 29 @ 2PM Ages 4+, 60m, Tickets: $7/$8John Cassidy, our most popular kids performer at the Colonial, is an eccentric comedian whose bizarre antics have earned him widespread acclaim as one of the most original and unique performers today. he has also made numerous television appearances having appeared on such popular shows as Live with Regis and Kelly, NBC’s Today Show and Martha Stewart Living and regularly plays Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City and his native Philadelphia. John also holds several Guinness World Records for speed in balloon sculpting. You can learn more about John and check out some amazing videos and photos online at johncassidy.com.YOUNG AUDIENCES: TWO FOREIGN FILMS IN FEBRUARYTOM AND JERRYSat, Feb 5 @ 2PMAges 6+, 75m Join us for a rip-roaring selection of our favorite Tom and Jerry cartoons. Screened on DVD.VIVA CUBASat, Feb 12 @ 2PMJuan Carlos Cremata Malberti, Cuba, 2005, Ages 10+, 80m, Spanish w/ English subtitlesWinner – Grand Prize of the Youth Jury – Cannes Film FestivalIn a tale akin to “Romeo and Juliet,” the friendship between two children is threatened by their parents’ differences. Malú is from an upper-class family and her single mother does not want her to play with Jorgito, as she thinks his background coarse and commonplace. Jorgito’s mother a poor socialist proud of her family’s social standing, places similar restrictions on her son. what neither woman recognizes is the immense strength of the bond between Malú and Jorgito. when the children learn that Malú’s mother is planning to leave Cuba, they decide to travel to the other side of the island to find Malú’s father and persuade him against signing the forms that would allow it. (Film Movement). Screened on DVD.TWO OF A KIND AND THE GIVE ‘EM A HAND BANDSat, Feb 19 @ 2PMAges 4+, 60m, Tickets: $7/$8“Two of a Kind is a one-of-a-kind find!” says Publishers’ Weekly. two of a Kind presents musical programs for audiences of all ages, including songs, movement, sign language, puppets and more – all with an emphasis on interaction and participation. Audiences sing and dance to songs about everything from animals, friendship and reading to conflict resolution, diversity and environmental topics. two of a Kind is David & Jenny Heitler-Klevans, an award-winning, nationally-touring, husband-wife musical duo based in the Philadelphia area. David and Jenny will be joined by “The give ‘em a Hand Band”, featuring Hope Wesley Harrison (vocals, electric bass), Justin Solonynka (vocals, keyboards, trombone, panpipes, didgeridoo, percussion), and sons Ari Heitler-Klevans (vocals, french horn, percussion) and Jason Heitler-Klevans (vocals, trombone, percussion).M. HULOT’S HOLIDAYSat, Feb 26 @ 2PMJacques Tati, France, 1953, Ages 6+, 85m, French w/ English subtitlesNewly restored print!While on holiday at a seaside resort, Monsieur Hulot – Jacques Tati’s endearing, pipe-smoking clown – finds his presence provoking one catastrophe after another. A wildly funny satire of vacationers determined to enjoy themselves, the first entry in the Hulot series includes a series of brilliantly choreographed sight gags about boats, dogs, tennis, and other hazards of leisure. Janus Films is proud to present this masterpiece of gentle slapstick in a new restoration. (Janus Films)”This brand-new restoration of Tati’s ode to the hazards of leisure makes the various misadventures look more drop-dead magnifique than ever.” – David Fear, Time out New YorkYOUNG AUDIENCES: THE MANY LIVES OF BATMANBATMAN AND ROBINSat, Mar 5 @ 2PMSpencer Gordon Bennett. US. 1949. Ages 6+, 60m (2 episodes plus a bonus cartoon)“There’s no Batmobile, and Robert Lowery looks a bit, ahem, well-fed as the Caped Crusader, but Columbia Pictures’ 1949 black-and-white serial Batman and Robin is up to its cape and cowl in cliffhangers, crime capers, and good old-fashioned rock-em-sock-em action. Directed at a breakneck pace by serial vet Spencer Gordon Bennett, this 1949 serial pits Lowery’s Batman and Johnny Duncan as the Boy Wonder against arch-villain the Wizard, who has designs on a remote-control device that doubles as a death ray. Jane Adams’s Vicki Vale is on hand to fall into peril at least once per episode, while Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot looks on sternly as Commissioner Gordon. Viewers weaned on Tim Burton’s dark, sleek interpretation of the Batman mythos will undoubtedly groan over the creaky dialogue and performances (creator Bob Kane was no fan, either), but fans with designs on absorbing every bit of Bat-trivia possible will probably get a kick out of this well-intentioned attempt at bringing the Dark Knight’s adventures to screen. (Paul Gaita, Amazon.com). Screened on DVD.BATMANSat, Mar 12 @ 2PMTim Burton. US. 1989. Ages 12+. 126 min.“Dark, haunting and poetic, Tim Burton’s Batman is a magnificent living comic book. From its opening shots, as the camera descends into the grim, teeming streets of Gotham City, the movie fixes you in its gravitational pull. It’s an enveloping, walk-in vision. You enter into it as you would a magical forest in a fairy tale, and the deeper you’re drawn into it, the more frighteningly vivid it becomes. Ultimately, that’s what Batman is — a violent urban fairy tale. but though it springs from American pulp origins and provides comic book pleasures, it expands upon them as well, transmuting the raw material into operatic gold. Burton’s pop vitality and his ability to make the world over in surreal cartoon terms could have been predicted from Pee-wee’s big Adventure and Beetlejuice, but nowhere in those films is there a sign of the muscularity and emotion he shows here.” (Hal Hinson, the Washington Post) Screened on blu ray.MASK OF THE PHANTASMSat, Mar 19 @ 2PMEric Radomski. US. 1993. Ages 8+. 76 min.“Although the live-action Batman franchise faltered artistically after Tim Burton gave up control, the slack was taken up by the Saturday morning cartoon show, whose creators are responsible for this feature film. Mask of the Phantasm combines the noir of the original comic book, the violence and dark humor of the Dark Knight comic book revision, and Burton’s two movies. In Phantasm, everyone’s favorite schizophrenic billionaire crime fighter is investigating the murders of several prominent gangsters. Meanwhile, his ex-fiancée and her father are back in town. through flashbacks, these two death-obsessed kids are shown falling in love (she lost her mother; he lost both parents–of course, they meet in a graveyard), until she leaves quickly and mysteriously. along the way, there’s a short course in the origins of the Batman costume and the origins of the Joker (voice of Star Wars’ mark Hamill!), a big fight with the smoke-enshrouded Phantasm character, who is suspected of killing the gangsters, and an even bigger fight with the Joker at the abandoned Gotham World’s fair grounds. Altogether, a good ride.” (Andy Spletzer, Amazon.com)BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKERSat, Mar 26 @ 2PMCurt Geda. US. 2000. Ages 12+. 74 min.“Some diehard Batfans have been slow to warm to the animated series Batman Beyond even though it was created by the same team responsible for the excellent Batman cartoon of the early ’90s. the Dark Knight should be a brooding avenger in a noir-nightmare Gotham City, the purists argue, not some smart-aleck teen four decades in the future, with jet packs, invisibility shields, and other sci-fi gizmos loaned him by an elderly Bruce Wayne (voiced, excellently as always, by Kevin Conroy, his stony bass given a raspy hint of old age), now confined to hobbling about on a cane and monitoring his protégé’s activities from the Batcave. Between its respectful reexamination of the “tortured hero” mythos and its sleek, anime-inspired look, this feature-length movie should go a long way toward quieting their complaints. of course, it doesn’t hurt that they’ve brought back the most legendary figure in the Rogues Gallery (voiced by mark Hamill, deliciously deranged), but exactly how and why the Joker has managed to turn up 40 years after his last meeting with Batman still as youthful and diabolical as ever is explained not only logically but terrifyingly as well. the secret behind his arrival is perhaps the saddest, grimmest twist any purported “kids’ show” has dared to attempt.” (Bruce Reid, Amazon.com) Screened on DVD.FIRST FRIDAY FRIGHT NIGHT DARK CITYFri, Jan 7 @ 9:45PMAlex Proyas. US. 1998. R. 100 min.Alex Proyas’s noisy psychedelic movie nightmare, Dark City, is so relentlessly trippy in a fun-house sort of way that it could very easily inspire a daredevil cult of moviegoers who go back again and again to experience its mind-bending twists and turns. although its story doesn’t add up when you analyze it afterward, the movie does take you on a visually arresting ride that offers many unsettling surprises right up to a sentimental sunburst of an ending that has a paranoid undertone. … the movie’s premise — that what we call reality might simply be a fantasy imposed by an omniscient mad scientist — is unsettling enough to make you wonder if it could actually derail a seriously drug-addled mind. the world it envisions is a stylized, claustrophobic, fantasy of Depression-era New York City existing in perpetual night.” (Stephen Holden, the NY Times). Director’s Cut screened on blu-ray.THE FIFTH ELEMENTFri, Feb 4 @ 9:45PMLuc Besson. France. 1997. PG-13. 126 min.New York cab driver Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) didn’t mean to be a hero. but he just picked up the kind of fare that only comes along every five thousand years – a perfect beauty, a perfect being, a perfect weapon. Now, together, they must save the world. (Columbia TriStar)“Besson’s film is a pretty straightforward affair, and once you cut through the glitz there’s barely a skeleton of a plot, but that rarely detracts from what is essentially a gorgeous, electrifying visual smorgasbord. the Fifth Element actually feels like it was scripted by a daydreaming teenager, but in a good way; that is to say, there’s a certain “gosh, wow” sense of wonder to the whole thing that echoes the completely unique universes of George Lucas and company. Besson completely immerses the audience in a crowded, murky future in which mankind has mastered the art of instant cloning and spread itself outward into the galaxy. Granted, much of this is a tip of the hat to Blade Runner, I think, especially in the New York City scenes where thousands of flying cars jam the colossal skyline and a thick patina of grime hangs over every shot and creates a funereal pallor. Even those who detest science fiction will have to applaud Jean-Paul Gaultier’s striking costume design and Dan Weil’s brilliant production design. however, it’s Besson’s brilliant editing and sly sense of humor that keep the two hour-plus film from bogging down; despite its grim storyline, the Fifth Element never takes itself too seriously.” (Marc Savlov, the Austin Chronicle)IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESSFri, Mar 4 @ 9:45PMJohn Carpenter. US. 1995. R. 95 min.“The underrated Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) stars as the hard-boiled and cynical John Trent, a claims collector with a special talent for sniffing out a con. Called in by a book publisher to track down their deliriously popular, flagship author Sutter Cane, who vanished while completing his most eagerly awaited novel In the Mouth of Madness. Trent teams up with his curiously other-worldly editor (Julie Carmen in a strange, occasionally annoying, trance-like performance) to track him down. their search eventually sends them into an alternate reality comprised totally of characters and events from Cane’s books, where they find the author himself, hastily completing what he refers to as a book that will turn the world into an army of vicious killers, wiping themselves out to make room for a new order of slimy, toothy monsters. As much a sly satire on the “movie violence causes real violence” argument as it is a solid piece of horror filmmaking, In the Mouth of Madness is something of a return to form for Carpenter, following his uncharacteristic failure with his last feature Memoirs of an Invisible Man. clearly having a ball, Carpenter fills the screen with equal amounts of unsettling atmosphere and shameless jolts, while at the same time successfully walking the tightrope that separates the horrific from the hilarious. In this department, Carpenter is aided greatly by Neill, whose witty performance adds resonance to questionable lines of dialogue and believability to every outlandish plot twist.” (Austin Chronicle)MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000MST3K: JACK FROSTFri, Jan 21 @ 9:45PMAleksandr Rou. Russia. 1964. NR. 84 min.In this beautifully shot 60’s Russo-Finnish film, a boy and the girl he is destined to be with must navigate plethora of wacky Slavic fairy tale rejects, in order to be together. Can they overcome wicked mushroom pixies, crazy forest witches and an evil stepmother to be with one another? how they do so and whether the titular Jack Frost will actually make an appearance in his own film is not nearly as critical to your entertainment as you may think. for you’re accompanied on this strange journey by Tom Servo, Crow and Mike Nelson, who are in rare form during the entirety of this wildly popular fan favorite episode. (Chuck Francisco). Screened on DVD.MST3K: CRASH OF THE MOONSFri, Mar 18 @ 9:45PMHollingsworth Morse. US. 1954. NR. 78 min.With two inhabited moons on a collision course for destruction, Space Ranger extraordinaire Rocky Jones flies in to save the day on his futuristic cardboard space ship. but trying to undo his good deed is the quasi-evil Empress Cleolanta, who rules the other moon and has machinations to destroy her collision buddy. This mustache twirling villainy would spare her people, but kill an entire civilization. Can Rocky Jones save the day? Will Joel and the bots have you rolling in the isles? Stay tuned for our exciting conclusion to find out! (Chuck Francisco). Screened on DVD.SPECIAL EVENTSTEDTalks SalonsTue, Jan 18 @ 7PMTue, Feb 15 @ 7PMTue, Mar 15 @ 7PMAs we gear up for our second annual live TEDxPhoenixville event on Sep 24, we’d like to share some of our favorite TEDTalks with you. Join us each month for a different program of compelling and inspiring talks. Each evening’s program will consist of pre-recorded TEDTalks plus one live performance. the salons will continue once per month thru August and will take place in the theatre’s third floor screening room. Seating is limited to 50 people. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased in advance at TheColonialTheatre.com.POINT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS THE BRITISH INVASION TRIBUTESat, Jan 22 @ 8PM • $20 advance, $24 door • General Admission SeatingA great night of music for the whole family! Featuring songs by: the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Dave Clark Five, Gerry & the Pacemakers, the Zombies, the Kinks, the Animals, the Yardbirds, the Who, Herman’s Hermits, and many, many more! General admission seating. Advance purchase tickets are $20. Tickets purchased at the door are $24. Ticket prices do not include the $2 per ticket Restoration Fee or the $1 per ticket Service Fee (max. $4). these fees will be calculated at check out. Tickets available with cash, check or credit card at the Colonial Theatre Box Office, or at TheColonialTheatre.com. please note that the seats in the rear balcony have limited legroom.FOURTH ANNUAL ROBERT BURNS MEMORIAL WHISKY TASTINGFri, Jan 28 • 6-8PM • $100.00Riannon Walsh, a world-renowned single malt whisky expert, returns to bring us exceptional single malts from around the world that she will speak about in terms of their qualities, taste, & cultural influences. Paired with wonderful cheeses and outrageous chocolates, this great experience will open your eyes and your palates! This event supports the Classics on Sundays film series at the Colonial.GROUNDHOG DAYWed, Feb 2 • 4PM, 6PM & 8PMHarold Ramis. US. 1993. PG. 101 min.“No film has understood bill Murray better than Harold Ramis’ brilliant Groundhog Day, a hilarious and unexpectedly profound comedy that breaks him down and reveals every conceivable facet of his personality. Like the high-concept equivalent of locking someone away until he’s learned a lesson, Danny Rubin’s original story forces Murray’s character to exhaust his seemingly inexhaustible sarcasm and finally come to terms with its limitations. Murray stars as an embittered local TV weatherman who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities—or, as he puts it, “the excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.” After a surprise blizzard pens him in town with relentlessly optimistic producer Andie MacDowell and cameraman Chris Elliott, Murray wakes up the next morning to find that he’s caught in a time warp, doomed to relive Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney over and over again. Groundhog Day comes up with wildly imaginative variations on the same encounters, mining new laughs out of Murray’s mood swings and creative impulses and making the most of his talent for improvisation. …A throwback to a time when Hollywood films weren’t so often cynical and insulting, Groundhog Day is a reminder of what popular entertainment can accomplish.” (Scott Tobias, the Onion A.V. Club)POINT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS LEO KOTTKEFri, Feb 11 @ 8PM • $24.50 – $38.50(Rescheduled from Dec 10. 2010) Fans of Tommy Emmanuel and Jorma Kaukonen are no doubt familiar with (and are fans of) Leo Kottke. Its not unusual for the words “amazing” and “incredible” to be used when describing his performances. Internationally recognized as a master of both the 6 and 12 string guitar, he is widely known for his innovative finger-picking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies. Reserved seating. Gold Circle: $38.50. Orchestra: $33.50. Front Balcony: $33.50. Rear Balcony: $24.50. Ticket prices do not include the $2 per ticket Restoration Fee or the $1 per ticket Service Fee (max. $4). these fees will be calculated at check out. Tickets available with cash, check or credit card at the Colonial Theatre Box Office, or at TheColonialTheatre.com. please note that the seats in the rear balcony have limited legroom.CITY RHYTHM ORCHESTRASun, Mar 27 @ 7PM • $27/$22 for adults. Students only $7 with purchase of an adult ticket.CRO has been entertaining audiences since 1985 with their upbeat brand of jazz and swing music. Bandleaders Pete Spina and Nick Vallerio have consistently cooked up exciting music with their key ingredients of hot horn players, a smokin’ rhythm section, and exciting charts. Joe Matt, the band’s innovative arranger, writes with a distinct flair that’s been called “great music and great fun.” the depth of their 1,000-tune play list is truly astounding. the musicians sound quite at home with all varieties music, and vocalists Steve Ritrovato and Vicki Woodlyn add a special quality to the group with their dynamic range and versatility. together, the ensemble salutes big bands like Basie and Ellington, vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald and Bobby Darin, and blues artists from Ray Charles to Dinah Washington.“One of the country’s finest swing bands, bar none. the real deal – a high flying, boldly swinging super-group.” – Philadelphia Weekly POINT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS LIVINGSTON TAYLORFri, Apr 15 @ 8PM • $22 – $32.50 • Reserved SeatingLivingston Taylor returns to the Colonial by popular demand. James’ brother has written Top 10 hits and has toured with the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Linda Ronstadt. but to his devoted fans he’s best known for his charming & enthralling live performances. Downingtown native Liz Longley will open. Reserved seating. Gold Circle: $38.50. Orchestra: $33.50. Front Balcony: $33.50. Rear Balcony: $24.50. Ticket prices do not include the $2 per ticket Restoration Fee or the $1 per ticket Service Fee (max. $4). these fees will be calculated at check out. Tickets available with cash, check or credit card at the Colonial Theatre Box Office, or at TheColonialTheatre.com. please note: seats in the rear balcony have limited legroom.MUSIC FOR MERCIESThu, Apr 21 @ 7PM • $28 • General Admission SeatingAn exciting evening of Blues and Jazz featuring the power packed and passionate performers of Broad St. Blues, Slick Mickey, and the Bryan Betts Group playing for the benefit of Traveling Mercies. Learn more at travelingmercies.org. General Admission seating. Tickets are $28 including the $2 per ticket Restoration Fee and the $1 per ticket Service Fee (max. $4). Tickets available with cash, check or credit card at the Colonial Theatre Box Office, or online. just click on the “Buy Tickets” link at the upper right of any page of our website to buy your tickets online. please note that the seats in the rear balcony have limited legroom.- THE COLONIAL THEATRE –